New bike news

08 January 2013 - 10:06

First ride: Bajaj Discover 100T

You could call it the most expensive 100cc in India, right now. But that won’t be describing the complete picture. What we have here is a completely fresh approach to entry-level motorcycles. Typically, this is a very price-sensitive segment – the cheaper, the better. But Bajaj feels that there is a growing demand for a better-specced 100cc bike and doesn’t want to lose out on that piece of pie.

The new Discover 100T is reasonably more expensive than the outgoing model, but also gets a marginally bigger 102cc engine that churns out 9.2Nm of torque instead of 7.8Nm and 10.1bhp in place of 7.7bhp. So, that’s a considerable jump in power. More importantly, the engine is now the same 4-valve design (two more than in the older engine) as seen in the bigger Discover 125cc.

On the road, all this has improved performance a lot. We had a short ride around Bajaj’s Akurdi unit but the revamped engine has helped make the Discover 100 smoother and more tractable. Absolute low-end torque didn’t feel at the same level as a Dream Yuga or Passion Pro, but the engine does come across as meaty and capable of actually getting this 100cc bike close to 3-digit speeds on an open road. Fuel efficiency is now claimed to be around 84kpl.

The overall design is identical to the 125cc – down to the decals. A clear giveaway is the absence of a mono shock, instead, you get dual Nitrox gas shocks. Electric start is standard. There is a new alloy wheel design. Gearbox is five-speed – all up – but no disc brakes, which is fine in the Discover’s case. There is also a flatter seat to go with the requirements of a typical 100cc rider.

Overall, the new Discover 100 Tourer makes a good case for itself as a stylish and reasonably powerful everyday motorcycle. Expect tough competition to the Honda Dream Yuga and Hero Passion Pro in the next few months.